A pair of children flies high in the helicopter ride at Hoffman's Playland in Latham Friday. (Mike McMahon / The Record)

LATHAM -- It was never about money when it came to operating the Hoffman's Playland Park as it was always about providing the best product for the customers but now, for Dave and Ruth Hoffman, it's time to do the things they always wanted to do.

Dave Hoffman said for the past couple of years he and his wife Ruth have been thinking about retiring and it wasn't until recently they decided to start putting those plans into action. The couple is considering selling Hoffman's Playland, which has been around since 1952.

"At this stage, we don't know," Hoffman said of a timeline for their transition out of owning the park. "We'll continue operating until we find a viable solution."

Hoffman's Playland, one of the last remaining kiddie parks in the United States, was born out of Adam Hoffman, Dave's grandfather, who wanted to have a place for children to come to as soldiers were coming back from World War II were coming back to the U.S. and starting to have children.

Advertisement

It was his father, Bill Hoffman, who started the amusement park along with his brothers, who started a restaurant and snack shack next door.

Now, after over 60 years of providing entertainment to the Capital District, Dave Hoffman, who has run the park for the nearly 40 years, said it has become hard to think about saying goodbye, even though there is no set timeline for their exit.

"Sometimes in life, you feel the need to slow the pace down," said Hoffman. "You find things you wanted to do but couldn't."

Some of those things Dave and Ruth have been looking to do are spending some time with their three sons, two of whom are spread out across the country. Their oldest, David, is a self-employed general contractor in Montana, their middle son, Daniel, lives in Idaho as a project manager for a landscaping company, and Steven, their youngest, is a Subway franchisee owner who lives in Latham.

Hoffman said his sons will not be looking to take over the kiddie park as he and Ruth encouraged them to follow their own dreams.

"We encouraged our children to pursue their dreams and aspirations," Hoffman said. "A couple of our sons went out West and fell in love with the West."

For Hoffman, it has always been about passion for the work you do. It can even come to the point where it no longer feels like work. After all of the years the Hoffmans have put into the place, Dave Hoffman said they are seeing the fruits of their labor pay off with the outpouring of support they have received since their announcement.

The most humbling part of it all for Dave Hoffman was seeing the "Save Hoffman's Playland" Facebook page which accumulated more than 12,000 likes in less than 24 hours. On Friday, the park was packed with many wishing the place wouldn't close.

"It's sad," said Erin Lengard of Clifton Park, who was there with her daughter and said she had gone as a child. "It's small enough for kids to enjoy every ride."

Kim Meyer, of Troy, echoed the sentiment, as she was there with her daughter, Emily, and several other parents from School 18 in Troy celebrating kindergarten graduation.

"The place is invaluable," Meyer said. "I came as a kid. There's no place like it. I thought it would always be a part of my life."

Jill Kaiser, who was with the group with Meyer, said it was a place she not only wanted to go to with her children but possibly their children as well.

"It's just sad because I came as a child, I bring my child and I hoped to bring my grandchild," Kaiser said.

Hoffman said he is open to any offer, but said it must be the right one. He also said he would prefer to sell it to someone who would want to keep the park open as long as they had the capability to run it the same way his family has.

"If it is to continue, it has to be held to the highest standards," Hoffman said. "We wanted it to be a haven of good, clean family fun for the entire town. That was our mission statement and it still is."

Andrew Beam may also be reached at 270-1294.

Editor's Note: The short video was captured by The Record's Chief Photographer, Mike McMahon.